After crossing over: kidnapping a female hunter to be the stepfather of the three cubs

Chapter 297 Lotus Viewing Banquet 2

Several people followed the old man's footsteps for half an hour and arrived at Jingyang Palace where the imperial concubine lived.

At this time, many palace servants were already sweeping the palace roads. With the pile of gold and silver on their necks, even Xu Qingzhao, who practiced martial arts, felt a sore neck.

When they arrived at the palace, Xixi led them in. Concubine Zhen sat at the top of the table, and next to her sat another beautiful woman who was also dressed in luxurious clothes.

"Good luck to the Imperial Concubine..."

Qing Zhao bowed in front, and Huanxi followed behind her and bowed as well.

"Get up, this is the virtuous concubine, you haven't seen her yet."

Concubine Xian, the biological mother of the second prince.

Xu Qingzhao lowered his eyelids secretly, a trace of vigilance rising in his heart, but he still bowed.

"Child, get up. It's our first meeting, so I don't have anything to give you as a gift." The virtuous concubine turned around, and a maid came out from behind her with a plate.

A closer look revealed a pair of gold and jade bracelets with a pattern of cranes playing in water.

"This pair of bracelets was given to me by the Emperor the year I entered the palace. They've been kept in my private vault for so many years. After much thought, this is the only one I can offer as a gift. Ronghua, please don't despise them..."

Xu Qingzhao said quickly:

"Your Majesty, this is too valuable. How dare Ronghua accept it?"

She really didn't want to accept it. Giving her such a valuable bracelet out of the blue was too expensive a gift.

"Ronghua, just accept it. This bracelet suits you very well. Come, let me put it on you."

Concubine Zhen on the side smiled, stood up, picked up the bracelet on the plate and put it on her wrist without saying a word.

Huanxi was so anxious behind them, she also wanted to see what was going on...

At this time, the young palace maid came in, bowed and said:

"My Lady, breakfast is ready. Do you want it now?"

"Well, come on up."

Huanxi was also very curious about what the breakfast in the palace looked like, but it was okay to just look at it even if she couldn't eat it.

Until he saw the various snacks and some porridge on the table, Huanxi couldn't help swallowing his saliva.

Xu Qingzhao didn't have much appetite. He ate a few bites and didn't eat any more.

After breakfast, a palace servant came to report that everyone in the Imperial Garden had left, except for these few people.

"Let's go too, don't make those people wait anxiously..." Concubine Zhen hinted at something and ordered the sedan chair to be prepared.

In the pavilion of the other side of the imperial garden, the daughters of various families were all dressed up beautifully. There were rumors that today was not just a simple flower-viewing banquet, but also a party to select a concubine for the fifth prince.

But these are just rumors. The fifth prince is only fifteen years old this year, so there is no need to be particularly anxious.

But those girls still put their best foot forward. Even if they were not chosen as concubines, they would not bring shame to their families.

There was a woman in the crowd who was particularly dazzling. It was not because she had a lot of jewelry on her, but because she was not wearing a palace dress.

She wore a lotus pink long dress made of moon-shadow gauze and a simple coral headdress. Although she looked plain and elegant, the Dongzhu earrings on her ears still revealed her status.

She seemed to be watching some good show, looking down at the girls who were looking around nervously.

"Princess Heyang is well."

A bookish girl dressed in green slowly walked up and bowed to Princess Heyang.

Princess Heyang took a grape from the fruit bowl nearby and began peeling it with her slender fingers, not even glancing at the girl who had saluted.

"Shen Aozhi, what do you want to see me for?"

Shen Aozhi smiled slightly and said harmlessly:

"Today is the flower viewing banquet, and Aozhi has no close friends, so she can only come to bother Her Highness. Her Highness seems a little bored, so how about we chat?"

Her voice is very nice, gentle and comfortable to listen to.

Every time he attended such a banquet, Heyang would doze off in his seat.

But to be honest, Shen Aozhi had never attended such a banquet, and this was the first time I saw Shen Aozhi at a banquet.

"Why? Do I look like someone who is easy to get along with?"

"Yes, cold on the outside but warm on the inside, that's what I'm talking about, Your Highness."

"Hmph, a hypocrite." He Yang said contemptuously.

Shen Aozhi was not annoyed. Her grandfather told her that she would receive an imperial decree granting her marriage here, so she came to expand her network. As for who it would be, with her family background and status, only Heyang among those present could catch her eye.

The girls on the side were whispering. The pavilion on their side was where the young women stayed, while the older women were drinking tea and chatting in the pavilion next door.

Some people gathered in groups of three or five and kept pointing at the lotus flowers in the pond and praising them.

Some even inquired about the newly-appointed Princess Ronghua. Although they were all whispered, their thoughts still reached the ears of Heyang and Shen Aozhi.

"This Princess Ronghua has been given the title, but I haven't seen her in person. She is truly a mysterious woman."

"Miss Shen is actually curious about these things?" Heyang glanced at her. She had heard that Miss Shen never left the house and was never interested in things in the outside world.

"Your Highness is joking. Aozhi is also a human being, so naturally he is curious."

"What's going on? She'll be here soon. Not to mention you, I'm also curious."

As he was speaking, a eunuch's voice rang out:

"The Imperial Concubine has arrived~The Virtuous Concubine has arrived~Princess Ronghua has arrived~"

The Imperial Concubine, the Virtuous Concubine and Xu Qingzhao walked to the middle of the pavilion, and a group of people began to kneel down and salute.

Heyang and Shen Aozhi are no exception.

"Everyone, get up, don't be restrained, just treat it like home."

As she spoke, she walked towards the main seat, and the women in the other pavilion also came over to greet her.

Huanxi followed Xu Qingzhao all the time, secretly looking at the beauties who came to the banquet.

Until his eyes swept over Heyang and Shen Aozhi, he was so happy that his saliva was about to flow.

There are too many beauties, and I can’t see them all with two eyes. No wonder the emperor likes the three palaces and six courtyards. She also wants to have the entire three palaces and six courtyards and collect all these beauties.

The host from the palace has arrived, which means the banquet has officially begun.

It was around eleven or twelve o'clock, and Huanxi was feeling a little sleepy.

The main reason was that the music from the instruments on the side was too hypnotic, but the dancer's dance was quite nice to watch.

"The dancers in the palace keep singing the same few songs over and over again. There's nothing new about them." He Yang said after the dancers left the stage.

"Oh? What do you think about Heyang? Why not tell me about it so that I can join in the fun too?" Concubine Zhen smiled as she picked up the teacup.

"Your Majesty, how about we draw lots? Whoever draws the lot gets to perform a talent show. These noble ladies also possess unique skills, and we can feast our eyes on them."

Concubine Zhen nodded and said, "This is a good idea. Go and tell someone to prepare it."

The palace maid beside her went downstairs immediately and came back with a plate in a short while.

The joy behind...this routine is so repetitive.